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Story Highlights

PHILADELPHIA – Al Horford had his first career triple-double, scoring 21 points with 10 rebounds and 10 assists to lead the Atlanta Hawks to their ninth straight win, 105-87 over the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night.

The Hawks easily thumped the Sixers even while resting 60 percent of their starting lineup. Leading scorer Jeff Teague, Paul Millsap and DeMarre Carroll all sat out with the team in a stretch of four games in five nights.

The Hawks have won 23 of 25 and also won their ninth straight road game. They are in first place this late in the season for the first time since they won the East in 1993-94.

The Sixers played with the Hawks for a bit and had the game tied at 33-all as late as the 6-minute mark in the second quarter. Short-handed or not, the Hawks then cranked up the offensive volume and proved why they just might be the team to beat in the East this season.

Korver showed his former team why he's the best 3-point shooter in the league. He made one 3 late in the first half for a 43-35 lead, followed with another on the next possession, then watched as Mike Scott buried his own 3 to send the Hawks into halftime up 49-37.

The Hawks used those three 3s in the final 1:13 of the half to help turn a five-point lead into a rout. They are on their second nine-game winning streak of the season.

Shelvin Mack's 3 late in the third helped stretch the lead to 21 points and the Hawks rested about the entire starting lineup for most of the fourth quarter. Mack had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Horford added six points with three assists and three rebounds in the third.

K.J. McDaniels scored 14 for the Sixers. Guard Tony Wroten did not return after he sprained his right knee. The lowly Sixers had won three of four and zipped past New York in the Eastern Conference standings.

Tip-ins

Hawks: At 35, Hawks forward Elton Brand knows his career is winding down. "I'm enjoying riding the bus," he said. "When I go to Utah, I take a walk and try and get a lunch in the mountains or something because I don't know if I'll be back here." Brand played four seasons with the Sixers and helped lead them to Game 7 of the 2012 Eastern Conference semifinals. Brand said it's been hard watching the Sixers struggle and wondered how much better off the franchise would be today had it stuck with a promising group of young players. "I see the pieces around the league," Brand said. "Lou Williams getting 30. Andre Iguodala having a great glue-guy personality. Even (Mo) Speights is getting 20 off the bench. (Nik) Vucevic (in Orlando) is 30 and 15 some nights."

76ers: What tank? The Hawks are proof that teams don't necessarily have to take Philadelphia's lengthy rebuilding plan to rise to the top of the conference. Sixers coach Brett Brown said the Hawks have built a team "with a bunch of really good guys that are a bunch of really good players." … The 76ers have kept an eye on second-round pick Jordan McRae's progress in Australia. There are no immediate plans for McRae to play in the NBA this season.